The present invention relates to rotary platforms for medical treatment, and in particular, it relates to the configuration of a rotary platform mainly used for treating genu varum or so-called bowlegs.
The number of people who need medical treatment for a condition known as bowlegs, which is unique to the Japanese, has been growing more and more in recent years, and better treatment methods for the condition are needed. At present, however, no significantly effective treatment method has been established except for surgical operations. There are two or three conventional methods which have been practiced over the years. When the soles of the feet of a patient afflicted with bowlegs are examined from the front, both soles of the feet face upward and outward. To correct them to face upward and inward, one treatment method is to place liners in the shoes of the patient. Each liner is arranged to be thick on the outer side and thin on the inner side, forming an inclined surface. The angle of its inclination is set to suit the degree of bowing of the leg. During the progress of the treatment, the liners are replaced periodically with those of smaller degrees of inclination.
According to another treatment method, the patient is made to lie on her or his side in such a way that the curved portion of one leg is lifted from a horizontal plane. A pressure in the direction of gravity is applied to the lifted portion little by little without any excessive strain. The process is repeated for both legs to gradually decrease the degree of bowing and eventually restore the legs to the normal condition.
The treatment of bowlegs according to the above-mentioned methods has the following problems: With regard to the method wherein liners are placed in the shoes, it is necessary to successively replace the liners and/or the shoes structured specially for the purpose with new ones, according to the progress of the treatment. It, therefore, is costly. Moreover, some patients may have difficulties in walking or find it impossible to walk at all.
Next, with regard to the method wherein pressure is applied on the sides of the legs, the process of repeatedly applying the pressure itself is very difficult to make, and may cause pain to the patient. It is a method accompanied by many difficulties.
The present inventor has also invented an apparatus described in the Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication No. HEI 4-4766. The apparatus includes a tread plate for the feet, which is flat and is arranged to be tilted forward in the downward direction from the horizontal position. The apparatus, therefore, has no effect of correcting genu varum or bowlegs. Moreover, it is difficult for feeble and/or aged patients to use the apparatus since the apparatus turns with the standing patient tilted forward. In particular, with the use of the tread plate, there is no space for providing a handrail for holding the body during the movement.